Nanostructured anode materials for lithium-ion batteries: principle, recent progress and future perspectives

Abstract

As the most commonly used potential energy conversion and storage devices, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been extensively investigated for a wide range of fields including information technology, electric and hybrid vehicles, aerospace, etc. Endowed with attractive properties such as high energy density, long cycle life, small size, low weight, few memory effects and low pollution, LIBs have been recognized as the most likely approach to be used to store electrical power in the future. This review will start with a brief introduction to charge-discharge principles and performance assessment indices. The advantages and disadvantages of several commonly studied anode materials including carbon, alloys, transition metal oxides and silicon along with lithium intercalation will be reviewed. The mechanism and synthesis methods, followed by strategies to enhance battery performance by virtue of interesting structural designs will be examined. Finally, a few issues needing further exploration will be discussed followed by a brief outline of the prospects and outlook for the LIB field.

X‐ray Nano‐computed Tomography of Electrochemical Conversion in Lithium‐ion Battery

“…Metal oxides such as CuO, NiO, and Fe 2 O 3 may reversibly exchange more than 1 equivalent of lithium according to a multi‐electron conversion mechanism, also called displacement, evolving within a wide potential region with remarkable specific capacity . Therefore, these oxides have been proposed as alternatives to graphite and Li‐alloys for application as anodes in LIBs characterized by their high capacity and low cost . However, the large voltage hysteresis between charge and discharge processes, and the modest stability of the conversion reaction owing to significant structural and volume changes, have hindered the application of these electrodes in efficient full Li‐ion cells …”

Hierarchical Zn1.67 Mn1.33 O4 /graphene nanoaggregates as new anode material for lithium-ion batteries

“…In addition, nanostructured materials have higher specific surface area than bulk materials, which can result in higher performance because of the increased contact surface with the electrolyte. On the other hand, nanostructured materials have the disadvantages of low volumetric energy density, many side reactions, and high manufacturing costs compared with bulk materials . Therefore, systematic design is required for nanostructure materials to be used as electrode materials.…”

In Situ Construction of Multibuffer Structure 3D CoSn@SnOx/CoOx@C Anode Material for Ultralong Life Lithium Storage

“…However, the energy density and power density of LIBs still have to be further improved. In terms of anode, alloy‐type anodes with high theoretical capacity have been considered as the most promising alternative to traditional graphite . Among them, tin has been paid considerable attention for its high gravimetric and volumetric capacities (992 mA h g −1 and ≈7300 mA h cm −3 ) and good electronic conductivity .…”